by Amber Helsel
Students and organizers from the Mississippi Youth Media Project’s summer 2016 semester gather for a group photo in YMP’s newroom, which used to house the Associated Press. Photo courtesy Imani Khayyam
On Friday afternoons this spring, students from Wingfield High School's FAME program are gathering up on the 13th floor of Capital Towers to learn more about media and how to tell overlooked stories about their communities. They are part of the Mississippi Youth Media Project, which BOOM Editor-in-chief Donna Ladd started and, last year, moved into its own newsroom with the help of other W.K. Kellogg Foundation leadership fellows and their project funds.
In the summer of 2016, the summer project kicked off with a diverse student team from many local public schools. The 20 teenagers gathered daily, Monday through Friday, for two months to learn to report on their communities and tell their own stories. They studied writing, editing, photography, video and even podcasting, web designs and startup principles. Most of the students focused in one of several "houses," to borrow from Harry Potter.
The students covered and participated in public forms with the mayor, police chief and talked about starting YMP to 1 Million Cups and other groups. After the summer ended, many of the students returned to do a SWOT analysis on the project, suggesting additions such as music production. They also want more diversity beyond the black-white mix the first summer.
After a fall hiatus, the program resumed with Wingfield students learning writing from Ladd; podcasting with Beau York of Podastery; photography with Imani Khayyam; and video from Roderick Red, who owns film company Red Squared Productions.
The students covered and participated in public forms with the mayor, police chief and talked about starting YMP to 1 Million Cups and other groups. After the summer ended, many of the students returned to do a SWOT analysis on the project, suggesting additions such as music production. They also want more diversity beyond the black-white mix the first summer.
After a fall hiatus, the program resumed with Wingfield students learning writing from Ladd; podcasting with Beau York of Podastery; photography with Imani Khayyam; and video from Roderick Red, who owns film company Red Squared Productions.
The writing “house” at the Youth Media Project is a favorite gathering place for students, especially the pink fuzzy chair. They like the bean bags, too. Photo courtesy Imani Khayyam In the project's short time, the students have accomplished a great deal. Maisie Brown was a speaker at 2016's TEDxJacksonWomen event, where she spoke on the importance of young voices in the media.
The students' mini-documentary, "HB 1523: Growing Up LGBT in Mississippi," was accepted into the Youth Films division of the Crossroads Film Festival and will screen in April 2017.
Their workspace, formerly the Associated Press newsroom, is almost 3,000 square feet with a large shared meeting space, a kitchen and smaller "houses" for video, writing and podcasting. Oh, and lots of beanbags.
<em>Visit youthmediaproject.com and see their work at jxnpulse.com.</em>
The students' mini-documentary, "HB 1523: Growing Up LGBT in Mississippi," was accepted into the Youth Films division of the Crossroads Film Festival and will screen in April 2017.
Their workspace, formerly the Associated Press newsroom, is almost 3,000 square feet with a large shared meeting space, a kitchen and smaller "houses" for video, writing and podcasting. Oh, and lots of beanbags.
<em>Visit youthmediaproject.com and see their work at jxnpulse.com.</em>
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